Could Joe Torre be in Mets' future?

Fox Sports baseball reporter Ken Rosenthal suggested in a report today that the Mets might be interested in bringing back former manager Joe Torre if he leaves the Dodgers this season. Rosenthal claimed owner Frank McCourt has been pinching pennies after being ordered to make monthly alimony payments of $637,000 to his ex-wife and said Torre's associates say he could leave if McCourt isn't going to spend on the team.

Rosenthal listed the Mets, Cubs and Braves as teams that would be interested in hiring Torre next season. If that's true, it might represent good news for current Mets manager Jerry Manuel. It's all speculation, but if Mets owner Fred Wilpon wants to wait and see about Torre's availability, it might mean a longer leash for Manuel unless Wilpon goes with an interim manager at some point this season.

In any case, there is no shortage of candidates with ties to the Wilpons and/or the organization. If they don't recycle Torre, they could bring back ESPN commentator Bobby Valentine, who earlier this season said he wasn't interested and called the speculation unfair to Manuel.

To those two most obvious of candidates, you could add Bob Melvin, who is a part of the scouting staff, and Mets minor league managers Ken Oberkfell, Tim Teufel and Wally Backman. The wild card, of course, is Palm Beach Atlantic University coach Gary Carter.

There aren't as many entrants in the Mets' future book as for the Kentucky Derby every year, so, it shouldn't be as difficult to handicap the field. Here goes:

Valentine 7/2
Torre 5/1
Melvin 10/1
Teufel 20/1
Oberkfell 25/1
Field 30/1
Backman 50/1
Carter 100/1

Give us your thoughts on whether Manuel will last the season and who might succeed him as the next Mets manager.